Green Space: Wet springs present challenges come summer

We’re mowing twice a week. Our plants are outgrowing their gardens. Has it ever been this green outside?

Jim Hillibish

We’re mowing twice a week. Our plants are outgrowing their gardens. Has it ever been this green outside?

So goes the way of the exceptionally wet spring. It gives everybody a green thumb. If you cannot grow healthy plants in this environment, forget it.

It’s that old El Nino at work, those areas of warm water that crop up in the Pacific and warp the jetstream northward. This brings the usual warmth, humidity, rain and storms from the southwest to our doorsteps.

El Nino recently stopped, and we will return to a normal summer. That means dry spells, watering and a new concern. All that rain created a growth blitz that cannot be supported by usually dry summers.

We’re already seeing some results. Trees that three weeks ago were growing wildly have begun to shed new leaves they cannot support. It’s last in, first out with these guys. Don’t panic when you see them on the ground. It’s a natural way the tree preserves itself. Looking at it as restoring the natural balance.

Keep an eye on your rain gauge. The old inch-a-week advice becomes more important when that water is denied. If you want to support the current growth, watering will be a critical job.

The easiest way to moderate dry conditions is 3 inches of mulch around your plants. Mulch acts as insulation against heat. It slows evaporation, requiring less watering. (The other plus is it controls weeds.)

Our vegetable plants exploded in growth. Now we must deal with that. Any stalk-type veggie such as tomatoes and peppers will need support to handle the growth. Otherwise, they can split from the weight. Good supports include tomato cages.

Vine crops are all over the place. If you’re growing melons, it’s a good idea to pinch off some blooms. This will give the remaining ones the energy to perform.

Root crops are the most maintenance free, benefiting from deeply soaked soil. Under these conditions, don’t fertilize them or you will get a heady crop of leaves and small vegetables.

We can dread the bug season this year. Mosquitoes will be vicious after the rains and standing water. West Nile Virus is still around and a worry, so wear insect repellent.